A group of us were sitting around at the beach last weekend and we got to talking about our childhood and the television programs we used to watch. It was an interesting trip down memory lane that didn’t involve reality programs or a lot of blood and guts.

We grew up with the Cleavers, the Addams family and Ozzie and Harriet, all seemingly benign domestic units that helped to structure our futures as adults and parents. Now you may argue that the Addams family was anything but a positive role model but they really were. Creepy as Morticia and Gomez were they made sure Pugsley and Wednesday were fed, clothed and attended school. They loved their children and may have shown it in different ways but the family unit was intact, from Grandma to Cousin It and Uncle Fester; there was a devotion among the clan that was unbreakable.

The wholesome families, such as the Cleavers, the Cartwrights and the Partridges, were just that, unimaginative but steady and sure. The family members protected one another, displaying a tight bond that couldn’t be severed. Granted, Mrs. Cleaver cleaning house in high heels and pearls wasn’t normal, certainly not by today’s standards, but her attitude toward her home and chores was a labor of love that spilled over into the television audience. Sitting on the beach recalling the programs we all giggled when we discovered we had all felt like we were adjunct members of our extended television families.

Where I grew up we only had seven stations out of New York and we thought we were pretty lucky to even have those. Seven stations that showed dramatic footage of the war in Vietnam, wholesome family sit-coms and the always popular variety shows such as The Osmond Family, The Carol Burnett Show (a personal favorite, I love Tim Conway and the way Carol always tugged at her ear for her children at home) and Ed Sullivan, my saint for bringing the boys from Liverpool into my living room.

On Thursday evenings I would cuddle with my father to watch The Untouchables, a lively program that took us into the under belly of crime. Sometimes we would enjoy Bewitched, with the good witch Samantha, who was always in a jam, her mother Endora a constant challenge in the love/hate war between mother and daughter. Bonanza was a family favorite as Hoss, Little Joe and Adam were constantly in trouble; the kind only Ben could get them out of. Hop Sing lent a pinch of humor to this family escapade and when someone was shot on the program we all cried for their pain. The Cartwrights were indeed a part of our family.

The program I never enjoyed watching was Lassie, it was always an endurance test. I hate shows and movies, even books, in which an animal is harmed, or just threatened. I’ve never seen Elizabeth Taylor’s Black Beauty and don’t imagine I ever will, the same goes for Benji, I just can’t tolerate the frustration and despair I feel for the poor animals. However, I did love Mr. Ed, the talking horse who amused all audience members and made good company for Wilber. Sadly, I recently read somewhere that Mr. Ed died shortly after his stint on the screen.

As a really little girl I loved The Howdy Doody Show, a program for the wee ones that entertained with wholesome fun. My brother was on it one time; I remember the day well because I got very angry at him. I was sitting at home watching my brother on the program and I kept waving, but he didn’t wave back. I got miffed and demanded that my father take the “box” outside and smash it. Naturally, he refused and tried to explain that my brother was not in the “box” but in New York with my mother on the television program. I didn’t really understand at the time but eventually came to realize that there were no people living in the “box” in our living room, they lived on a set somewhere else, the program magically transmitted to my home. I eventually forgave my brother.

Likewise I adored the other kiddie shows like Captain Kangaroo and a selection of cartoons. Bullwinkle was a favorite along with Scooby Doo and Felix the Cat. They were always yucking it up and acting silly, doing things real people can’t do but sometimes try, i.e.: jumping off cliffs without harm just like Superman, another absolute favorite. I loved Clark Kent and waited anxiously for him to marry Lois Lane. Alas, it never happened but one can hope.

During the ’80s, a group of us in California got hooked on Dynasty. Every Wednesday evening when it aired at 8 we would have Dynasty parties. Everyone made something so that when we gathered at alternating homes for the weekly do, we would be well fed. There was no talking during the program, just at commercials, and all the women had to wear big jewelry and oversized shoulder pads in order to get in the front door. The men had to wear preppy shirts with sweaters slung over their shoulders, charming. It was an evening we all looked forward to because it was so silly. However, I have to say, the Carringtons did make a fashion statement that spilled over to the general public and lasted for quite some time. Big hair, caviar on a silver spoon, gobs of jewelry and endless champagne, is there much better in this world? I think not, except perhaps the big hair.

It’s really too bad we can’t set the clock back and have some wholesome television viewing. Granted, all the shows when I was a child were not the best but they certainly are reminiscent of a gentler television viewing time. I say forget the reality television and bring on the Beaver. I think he just might like to meet Alexis Carrington ... imagine! Now there’s an idea for a show.